A vintage day for Zeebrugge

99 classic cars of all makes and colors boarded onto WWL's vessel.

Published: 6/10/2014Author:Rob Hincks

The loading went without a hitch, and the cars were on their way in no time.

On saturday 21 September, the Port of Zeebrugge hosted an unusualloading: 99 beautiful vintage cars of all makes and colours, most drivento the terminal by their owners, boarded onto Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics’ MV Don Juan for an ocean voyage to New York.

The cars were bound for Tour America, an annual event organised by Belgian lamp and light fitting company Degroux & Partners, where vintage cars participate in a leisurely nine-day drive from New York to Miami.WWL had a team of workers standing by at the Zeebrugge terminal to the load the cars on to the vessel.

“No special equipment was needed for loading,” says Hendrik Sohier, WWL’s Port ManagerBelgium. “But we had to work out how to lash them on board the vessel. Factory-new cars are usually fitted with hooks for securing on board, but with these older cars, all of them different, we had to work out customized lashing for each one.

”Teams from cargo Quality and Terminal Operations helped determine the best lashing method for each car before it was driven on board. Terminal workers were given plenty of time to load the cars, ensuring the operation ran smoothly and damage-free. Three of the event organisers were present, and impressed to see that all the cars were treated with care and given tailor-made lashing solutions. “The loading went without a hitch, and the cars were on their way in no time,” Sohier says.

The rally was held by the Classic Car Drivers’ association of Belgium. The car scrossed nine states, covering a total of 2,400 km.In all, 160 cars participated in therally, 99 of which were transported by WWL.

FACTSThe rally was held by the Classic Car Drivers’ association of Belgium. The cars crossed nine states, covering a total of 2,400km. In all, 160 cars participated in the rally, 99 of which were transported by WWL.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By accepting you are giving consent to cookies being used. You can change this at any time and to do so or to find more information on cookies, please visit our Cookie policy